Heating by compressed hot or superheated air



HEATNG BY GOMPRESSED HOT 0R SUPBRHEATED AIR.

No 381,589. Patented Apr. 24, 1888.

N. PETERS. Pmmumgmphm, whmgmn, n. C.

(No Model.) 4 sheets-sheet 2.

T. J. SIMPSON.

HEATING BY GGMPRBSSED HOT 0R SUPERHEATED AIR, No. 381,589.

Patented Apr. 24, 1888.

@SWW

@9i/tema.

N, PETERS. Phm-Umngmphw, washington. D. c.

4 Sheets-Sheet. 3.

(No Model.)

No. 381,589. Patented Apr. 24, 1888.

wwwww i N. PETERS Phmvumagmphur. wnwngmn n. C.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

T. J. SIMPSON. HEATING BY GOMPRBSSED HOT OR SUPERHEATED AIR.

No. 881,589. f Patented Apr. 24, 1888.

N. PETERS. Prwwumegmpm, wnhmgw n. c.

IINTTED STATES PATENT rEreEo THOMAS J. SIMPSON, OF I'VORTHINGTON, MINNESOTA.

HEATING BY COMPRESSED HOT OR SUPERHEATED AlF.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 381,589, dated April 2, 1888.

Application filed April Ai, ISST. Serial No. 233,557. (No model.)

skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and tigurcsofrefercnce marked thcreomwhich form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improved method of and apparatus for heating railway-cars, ships, dwellinghouses, hoteis, hospitals, and, in short, all structures where heat is required by means of compressed hot orsuperheated air.

The nature of my invention will be best understood by first giving a general explanation of its mode of operation and then passing to a more detailed description of a specific arrangement of apparatus for carrying it into effect.

The system of heating` which I employ is that of radiation, the compressed hotair serving merely to store up and carry the heat to suitable radiators, and not being itself admitted to the apartment or structure which is to be warmed. The air is heated in any desired manner, preferably by being drawn through coils of pipe exposed to the heat-imparting agent, which may be steam, either live or exhaust, contined in chambers through which the coils Yof air-pipe are carried. Vhen the air has been sufficiently heated or superheated, it is then compressed by a suitable pump toany desired pressure, and thereby heated still further. Itis then eonductetl through pipes to radiators, imparting its heat to said pipes and radiators, which in turn warm the air in the apartment in which they are placed. The air is kept moving under pressure, being pumped into the pipes until the pressure reaches a predetermined point, when it is admitted, preferably by means of an automatic valve, into a closed reservoir. As soon as the pressure in the rcservoirbecomes equal to that in the system of pipes, the steam-pump is stopped and disconnected, while an auxiliary pump is put in communication with the pipes. rIhis second pump is driven by thc accumulated air-pressureiu thcrescrvoiraud serves to supply compressed hot air to the radiators until the pressure in the reservoir falls so low as to be unable to operate the pump, which is then supplanted by the steam-pump once more and the air-pressure is pumped up again. By thus utilizing the compressed hot or superheated air to operate a pump and keep the pressure from falling too rapidly I am able to save the steam which would otherwise be required to keep up the pressure.

From this statementof the manner in which my invention operates it will be seen that my invention consists, first, in a method of heating apartments by means of compressed hot air; second, a method of heating which consists in filling a system of pipes and radiators with hot air under pressure, third, a suitable apparatus for carrying this method into effect, and in certain combinations and arran gements of parts, hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The accompanying drawings represent one form of the apparatus as applied to a railwaytrain.

Figure l is a perspective View of the airheating chambers and the pumps arranged at one end of a car. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the car containing these appliances. Fig. 3 is a similar view of a passenger-car adapted to be warmed by the compressed hot air. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a loco motive equipped with an air-heating coil, and Fie. 5 is a plan view of the same.

Similar let-ters refer to corresponding parts in all the Views.

The steam for heating the air and actuating the compressing-pump is brought from the boiler of the locomotive through pipe a tothe compartment at one end of the baggage-car A, Where the apparatus is located. Valve a controls the admission of steam through pipe a into the closed reservoir or live-steam chamber E, from which it emerges through pipe b and is conducted to the steam-cylinder E.

cis the exhaust-pipe, which conducts the steam from cylinder E to the closed reservoir or exhaust-steam chamber F, from which it escapes through pipe d.

The steam-pump is of any suitable construction, though preferably of the NVestinghouse air-brake type, as shown in the drawings.

The air to be heated and compressed enters the car through pipe g. It may pass first through strainer hand a coil of pipe, g', located in the steam-dome D of the locomotive, and be carried, also, through the tire-box, if desired, and along under the tender C; or, if a less degree of heat will suffice, the air may be taken directly from the car through the strai ner f and pipe c. The air-pipe first enters the exhaust-steam chamber F and is coiled therein, as shown,in order to exposealargeheating-surface to the action of the steam. It then passes by means of a connection, t, into the live-steam chamber B, in which, also, it is coiled, as shown. l Emerging at j,.it connects with the air-compressing cylinder G of the pump, a branch, j,connecting also with the corresponding cylinder, G', of the auxiliary pump. The discharge-pipes of these two pump-cylinders are provided with valves, as shown, and conneet with the outgoing heat-pipe 7c, through which the compressed hot air is conveyed to the radiators H in the several cars of the train. Flexible couplings Z are used between the cars similar to those which connect the air-brake pipes. The compressed hot air is led back through the return-pipes m, which are also provided with radiators H, to the receiving tank I. An automatic valve, J, which by means of a lever, P, and sliding weight g can be set to open at any given pressure, opens communication between the tank I and the pipe r when the determined pressure is reached. Passing through the pipe r, the hot air enters the reservoir Kand is stored therein until the pressure becomes nearly equal in the heatingpipes, the receiving-tank, and the reservoir. A pipe, s, provided with valves, leads from thereservoir to the driving-cylinder E of the auxiliary pump and exhausts through the pipe t after it has expended its energy in moving the ypiston in cylinder E.

The reservoir K is connected by a short valved pipe, u, With the steam-exhaust pipe d. The live-steam chamber B, the air-receiving tank I, and the air-reservoir K are each provided with a pressure-gage, and near the airreceiving tank should be placed a thermometer, arranged to indicate the temperature of the atmosphere outside of the car.

rlhe exhaust and live steam chambers F and B and the air-reservoir K may be conveniently arranged as shown in Fig. l, being supported in suitable chocks. The steam-chambers are iitted with drippipes Iv, to carry oft' the water of condensation.

Fig- 2 shows the general arrangement of the apparatus in a compartment at one end of a car. The outgoing hot-air pipe k runs along one side of thev car and the returnpipe m along the other side. At the farther end of the car they are united by a branch pipe, n,- which is provided with one or more Valves, n.

Fig. 3 shows the arrangement of pipes and radiators in a passenger-coach. The arrangement is the same at each end of the car, so that it can be reversed end for end without disturbing the system. A hot-air pipe runs along each side of the car and connects with the radiator H,of which there may be any desired number. A valved branch pipe, n, at each end of the car connects the hot-air pipes, which are themselves provided wit-h valves o at each end of the car.

The operation of my apparatus has been partially set forth above, but a more detailed explanation ofit will now be given.

When the valves in steam-pipe a are opened, the steam fills the live-steam chamber B and flows through pipe b into the steam-cylinder E of the pump. After performing its Work in moving the piston in said cylinder, the steam exhausts into the exhaust-steam chamber Fand escapes through exhaust-pipe d. The pump draws air through the air-pipe g. If taken from the coil in the dome ofthe locomotive, the valve g in the ear is opened and valve e' is closed. If taken from the car through strainer j', the valve g is closed and valve e is opened. In its passage through the coils of pipe in the steam-chamber the air becomes highly heated, y

and under the action of the compressing-cyl inder G of the pump it becomes still further heated. It is forced into the pipe k, which communicates from car to car, until it reaches the rear end of the train, where the valves o are closed. are closed except the one at the rear end of the train. through this to the return-pipe m, through which it reaches the air-receiving tank I. When the apparatus is rst started, the valve u should be opened and the automatic valve J opened by hand to allow the hot air to blow through and Warm up all the parts of the system. Valve u may then be closed and the automatic valve J set to open at any given pressure, which may be determined in the following way: The temperature of the compressed` hot air depends largely upon its pressure; the

greater the degree of compression the higher the degree of temperature. If, then, the ther- All the branch pipes n in the system l The compressed hot air finds its way IOO mometer indicates a low temperature of the l atmosphere, the valve J shouldbe set to holdthe hot air at considerable` pressure, while if the day be. comparatively mild a low pressure of air will be sufficient. seen that the valve J governs the pressure that can be put upon the pipes by the steampump. As soon as the pressure exceeds the limit set, the valve J will open and relieve it, the escaping hot air being conducted into the air-reservoir K. In time the pressure in this IZO It will thus be reservoir will nearly equal that in the pipes,

as will be shown by the pressnre-gage-on said reservoir. The steamis then shut oft from the pump by closing the valvein pipe b. The

valve in 'pipe 7s between the air-compressing cylinder Gr and the junction of the latter pipe with the pipe k should be closed. rI he valve in pipe Sis then opened, and also valve in branch pipe 7a', and the auxiliarypump is act- 'uated by the compressed hot air stored in the reservoir K, the air escaping through pipet after it has done its work. rlheair-compressing cylinder G draws the hot air through pipe g and forces it through pipe le into the heating-pipes k, where it follows the same course as when supplied by thesteam-pump. As the air-compressing cylinder G is of less diameter than the actuating-cylinder E', the amount of air forced into the pipes by this pump is less than that required to actuate the pump, so that the pressure in the reservoirK gradually lowers until the pump is no longer able to operate. It is then cnt oft from the reservoir and heating-pipes, and the steam pump is again brought into requisition to till the reservoir K again. In this way, by utilizing the energy stored up in the compressed hot air that has passed through the heating-pipes and reached the air-reservoir to drive an auxiliary compressing-pump, I am able to dispcnsewith the steam pump at intervals.

It is evident that where railway-cars, ships, or buildings are already provided with steamheating boilers, pipes, and radiators, I can, with slight alterations, use the same for heating with compressed hot or superheated air, connecting the steam generator with my steamchambers and steam-pump and the pipes and radiators with the air-cylinders of my pumps, the return steam-pipe being connected with my air-receiving chamber.

Among the advantages of my invention may be mentioned the obviating ot' all noise in the pipes and radiators, so prevalent in steamheating systems; the absence of drip-cocks and traps i'or condensed steam; the absolute safety from sealding or smothering in case a heatingpipe is broken or a coupling gets loose, and the like.

In applying my invention to the various purposes for which it may be used it will be necessary to vary the construction and arrangement to suit the occasion and the climate. In cold weather it will be necessary to use the coil in the dome of the locomotive, while in warmer climates this may be dispensed with and the air taken directly from the car. All this may be done within certain limits without departing from the spirit of my invention, as will readily be understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. The combination, with an air-compressing device, of an air supply pipe, steamchambers through which said pipe passes for heating the air before it is compressed, suitable pipes and radiators for holding the compressed hot air, an automatic relief valve for governing the pressure, a reservoir for receiving and storing the surplus compressed air, and an auxiliary air-compressing device arranged to ,be actuated by the compressed air stored up in the reservoir, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with a steam-actuated air-compressing pump, of a live steam chamber through which the steam is supplied to the pump, an exhaust-steam chamber for receiving the exhauststeam from the pump, an air-supply pipe' passing through said chambers, a system of heating-pipes and radiators, and an automatic and adjustable relief-valve for governing the pressure in said pipes, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with a steam-actuated air-compressing pump, ot a live-steam chamber through which the steam is supplied to the pump, an exhaust-steam chamber for receiving the exhaust-steam from the pump, an air-supply pipe passing through said chambers, a system of heating-pipes and radiators, a reservoir for the surplus compressed air, an adjustable automatic valve ,for opening communication between the heating-pipes and the reservoir when a predetermined pressure has been reached, and an auxiliary air-compressing pump arranged to be driven by the surplus compressed air in the reservoir and to force hot air into the heating-pipes, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. rlhe combination, with the live-steam chamber B, exhauststeam chamber F, and reservoir K, of a steam air-pump and an auX- iliary air-pump, an air-supply pipe passing through the steam-chambers, and a heatingpipe connected with the air-cylinder of each pump and with the reservoir K, said reservoir also being connected with the drivingcylinder ofthe auxiliary pump, substantially as set forth.

5. A car-heating system comprising an airheating coil in the dome of the locomotive, 'independent steam and air pipes, a pump having steam and air cylinders connected, respectively, with said pipes, live and exhaust steam chamberssurroundingtheair-pipebet'ore it reaches the pump, a closed hot-air-supply pipe running from the pump through the car, a receiving tank to which said heating-pipe returns, a reservoir communicating with said tank, an automatic pressure-valve controlling the communication between said tank and reservoir, and an auxiliary compressing-pump connected with the reservoir and with the hotair-supply pipe, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aftix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS J. SIMPSON.,

-Witnesses:

M. D. BRMNARD, J r., E, L. lWHITE.

IOO 

